Historical Romance Fiction

Heterosexuality and Performativity

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
Cover of the book Historical Romance Fiction by Lisa Fletcher, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Lisa Fletcher ISBN: 9781317121770
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: April 22, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Lisa Fletcher
ISBN: 9781317121770
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: April 22, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

The first book-length study of romance novels to focus on issues of sexuality rather than gender, Historical Romance Fiction moves the ongoing debate about the value and appeal of heterosexual romance onto new ground, testing the claims of cutting-edge critical theorists on everything from popular classics by Georgette Heyer, to recent 'bodice rippers,' to historical fiction by John Fowles and A.S. Byatt. Beginning with her nomination of 'I love you' as the romance novel's defining speech act, Lisa Fletcher engages closely with speech-act theory and recent studies of performativity. The range of texts serves to illustrate Fletcher's definition of historical romance as a fictional mode dependent on the force and familiarity of the speech act, 'I love you', and permits Fletcher to provide a detailed account of the genre's history and development in both its popular and 'literary' manifestations. Written from a feminist and anti-homophobic perspective, Fletcher's subtle arguments about the romantic speech act serve to demonstrate the genre's dependence on repetition ('Romance can only quote') and the shaky ground on which the romance's heterosexual premise rests. Her exploration of the subgenre of cross-dressing novels is especially revealing in this regard. With its deft mix of theoretical arguments and suggestive close readings, Fletcher's book will appeal to specialists in genre, speech act and performativity theory, and gender studies.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The first book-length study of romance novels to focus on issues of sexuality rather than gender, Historical Romance Fiction moves the ongoing debate about the value and appeal of heterosexual romance onto new ground, testing the claims of cutting-edge critical theorists on everything from popular classics by Georgette Heyer, to recent 'bodice rippers,' to historical fiction by John Fowles and A.S. Byatt. Beginning with her nomination of 'I love you' as the romance novel's defining speech act, Lisa Fletcher engages closely with speech-act theory and recent studies of performativity. The range of texts serves to illustrate Fletcher's definition of historical romance as a fictional mode dependent on the force and familiarity of the speech act, 'I love you', and permits Fletcher to provide a detailed account of the genre's history and development in both its popular and 'literary' manifestations. Written from a feminist and anti-homophobic perspective, Fletcher's subtle arguments about the romantic speech act serve to demonstrate the genre's dependence on repetition ('Romance can only quote') and the shaky ground on which the romance's heterosexual premise rests. Her exploration of the subgenre of cross-dressing novels is especially revealing in this regard. With its deft mix of theoretical arguments and suggestive close readings, Fletcher's book will appeal to specialists in genre, speech act and performativity theory, and gender studies.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Regina Mingotti: Diva and Impresario at the King's Theatre, London by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Terrorism and Counterterrorism by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Drama & the Dramatic by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Attachment, Trauma and Multiplicity by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Assess Your Own Teaching Quality by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Future Active by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book The Ship of Sulaiman by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book The American Merchant Experience in Nineteenth Century Japan by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Mon Nationalism and Civil War in Burma by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Organizational Influence Processes by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Low Impact Living by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Annotating Salman Rushdie by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Group Work in Education and Training by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book Free Will by Lisa Fletcher
Cover of the book International Banking for a New Century by Lisa Fletcher
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy